YUMMY, YUMMY; GIVE ME ONE.

 Snapped this in the park the other day.  Very active dog he was, but is willing to sit attentively for a treat.  His tongue is out....

PEOPLE, PHONES, PIGEONS, AND PUP

 Just what the title says.  The sign behind them reads Lebovski, undoubtedly borrowed from the film THE GREAT LEBOWSKI, but the shop is a bakery and has nothing to do with the film. 

" 'leb,'" however, is slang for "hleb" (bread), so hence the borrowing!

STREET FASHION

 It may be spring, but you wouldn't know it by these ladies' ensembles.  The girl in the bottom photo is wearing flesh-colored tights, which makes me think that she may be an ice skater. Otherwise, I think she might have warm regular pantyhose.

MONDAYMURALS--the monkey

 I've seen several of these monkey murals around. They give me the creeps.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS: angry guard dog

 Not much of a guard dog to be sure, but in his tough-looking leather jacket of which you can see the reflection in the mirror, he puts on a good act.

See other reflections on James'  WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

THE WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE: PARK AT NIGHT

 This image, like ANOTHER ONE I took in 2012 is unsettling. At first glance, you do not know if the figure is walking threateningly toward me or if he is walking away....

See other black and white images on WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE.

I SHOOT DOGS, TOO

 I told you yesterday I shoot people....and other living creatures. Same technique works for dogs; I sit on a bench or at a cafe table, camera on lap, and click.  Thankful for absolutely silent shutter.

I SHOOT PEOPLE

 One of my Sunday (or any other day, for that matter) activities is shooting people. Since you're probably interested in photography since you're looking at my blog, that shouldn't shock you.

I sit at a cafe or on a bench, camera discreetly posed on my lap, and click.  

I shot this man as he was on his fourth tour around the park.  I also shoot other living creatures, as you will see tomorrow. 

TOP KNOTS

 I guess these would be called top knots, or is it one word?

No matter; this girl's hair color and style caught my eye.

MONDAY MURALS DUMPSTER MURAL

 I don't think of course that this mural was created for the dumpsters, but they blend in nicely.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE: PAY NO ATTENTION TO ME

 Do you just pass people like this by? I have to admit that I do, but when I take a photo, even on the sly, I drop some money in their box. It was cold the evening I took this photo, and I can't imagine sitting in that position for any amount of time. I would be so stiff.

See other black and white photos in WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE.

LEPRECHAUNS! HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!

The word leprechaun comes from the Irish “leipreachán" or "lucharachán” which comes from the Middle Irish "luchrapán, lupra(c)cán,” which is originally from the Old Irish ”lúchorp(án)” meaning "small body."  Leprechauns are (if you believe in them) shoemakers, albeit tiny ones.

They are often mischievous creatures who spend their time making shoes or hiding away their coins in hidden pots of gold at the end of rainbows. Leprechauns may grant wishes to humans who capture them. Try as I might, I can never find any.  Time for a trip to Ireland...

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!  (the sign reads 'buckles changed/heels changed').

SAIL AWAY!

 LORENZO AND KAKALAMBA is one of my favorite restaurants. Haven't been there in ages because of the pandemic, but it is open and has an outdoor area, too, so I may give it a go again as the weather warms up.  

Please click on the link and see what a wonderfully quirky restaurant this  is, and yes, the food is excellent.

ZEBRA SHOES

 These shoes caught my eye last evening while I was walking downtown. They made me think of a zebra with gold sunglasses, if ever a such creature there was.

DOGGIE FRIENDS IN THE PARK

 Meet my German friend Susanne and her dog Boobie on the right. They were photobombed by Madhu, who is such a diva she has to be in every picture.

WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE: curves

 This pedestrian bridge connects the lower part of Kalemegdan Park over a road to a new 'hipster' area of the town by the river; restaurants, cafes, etc.

See other images in black and white on WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS: "How do you like it, Ma'am?"

 By coincidence, I now realize that I too will be going to the hairdresser today. I glimpsed this senior hairdresser and his client through a window and you can see some reflections of what was behind me.

I also like how the Revlon babe overlooks it all.

See other reflections on WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--BLACK LIMBS AGAINST THE SKY

 Nary a sign of spring, no buds, few flowers around town.  I'm patient.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

DOG TALK

 Not sure why these ladies were holding their pups, but the Yorkie is giving me the evil eye.

A SIGN....

 While walking my dog down by the river last Sunday, I glimpsed a newly mounted pedestal and bust across the vast grassy area. I was drawn to it and came up behind it. Lo and behold, it was the bust of the famous Indian poet, RABINDRANATH TAGORE, who visited Belgrade in 1926. He stayed at the still open PALACE HOTEL, built in 1923, so it was very new when he came. Below are some photos of the poet and his entourage, as well as an old one of the Palace Hotel, which honestly could have been taken yesterday.

I took my attraction to the bust as a sign that India is calling me to visit again....   Next year, I  hope.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

 Today, March 8th, is INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, a holiday created to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women.

This photo may not reflect any of those achievements, but this 'grande dame' exemplifies the elegant older woman, sure of herself, and keeping her sense of chic. 

Animal rights activists will scorn her fur coat and non-smokers her cigarette, but hey.

THE CHESTNUT SELLER

 It's still cold  here and warm chestnuts in your hand are still welcome. I love them. The scent of roasted chestnuts instantly conjures up wintry streets in Paris where I always bought them.

WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE--FACING THE SUN

 True March weather here. Sunny and crisp one day, rain and clouds the next.  This lady needed her sunglasses.

See other black and white photos on the WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS -- PICK YOUR INSTRUMENT

 There is a reflection here, albeit a tiny one. My dog's head is visible on the black guitar lying in the foreground.  I don't play any instrument, but if I did, I'd  be tempted by the jazzy patchwork guitar on the left.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

FORTY-FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING

 In 1977, I arrived in what was then the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.  From 1945 to 1963 it had been the People's Republic of Serbia.  From 1963 to 1990 it became the Socialist Republic of Serbia, and since 1990 it is simply (?) the Republic of Serbia.  (I've bookmarked that Wiki page...)

Anyway, the names of the country have changed a bit, but not as much as the street around the corner from me.  Above all is written in Cyrillic, but now the street's name is Svetogorska, or Holy Mountain street, or Mount Athos, home to a Serbian monastery in Greece.  Before that, its names varied according to who was in power, disgraced, a national hero, and so on.

Why am I writing this?  Today marks my 45 years in Wherever I Am now. What will the country and/or street be called when I'm not around anymore?

I could hope for the street to be named after the famous blogger, but that probably won't happen!

CULTURE CLASH

 Belgrade is an architectural mishmash. A new shopping center on the left stands next to an early 1900s building.  Sigh. Such is the way of the world.

STALKED?

 The statue of Nikola Spasic, Serbian businessman, benefactor, humanitarian, and one of the leaders of the Serbian Chetnik Organization in Old Serbia and Macedonia, appears to  be stalked by a woman in a burka, but no.  "She" is merely a cafe umbrella all wrapped up.

MARCH THEME DAY: SOLITUDE...not loneliness.

Solitude.  It isn't the same as loneliness, in fact, it is often just the opposite. One can be very happy in solitude, as I often am.  Loneliness is a sad state.

A few years ago I spent two months in a small, remote village in Uttarakhand, India. I was teaching English there in a small school for impoverished children. Of course I had company, but because of communication issues, no real deep conversations for that amount of time.

I was not lonely, nor was I bored. I imagine it was also the case of this man in the photo. If there were no fog, you would be able to see the magnificent mountains beyond.

See other interpretations of solitude on CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY.